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2004 Mercedes Benz C Class Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

20 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 1.25 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious03V534000

Seat Belts

IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, raises the risk of INJURY.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAT BELTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON DECEMBER 22, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, SOME SEAT BELT BUCKLES MAY HAVE A BURR ON A METAL COMPONENT OF THE LOCKING MECHANISM. THE PRESENCE OF THE BURR COULD PREVENT THE SEAT BELT FROM LOCKING UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.

Complaint volume

20 this model-year 6 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

2Crashes
3Fires
3Injuries
0Deaths

Across 20 complaints. Severity Index 1.25.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Engine And Engine Cooling2 · 10%Power Train2 · 10%Unknown Or Other1 · 5%Tires · Tread/Belt1 · 5%Seats1 · 5%Air Bags · Side/Window1 · 5%Seats · Front Assembly · …1 · 5%Visibility · Rearview Mir…1 · 5%
  1. Engine And Engine Cooling — 2 reports
  2. Power Train — 2 reports
  3. Unknown Or Other — 1 reports
  4. Tires:Tread/Belt — 1 reports
  5. Seats — 1 reports
  6. Air Bags:Side/Window — 1 reports
  7. Seats:Front Assembly:Power Adjust — 1 reports
  8. Visibility:Rearview Mirrors/Devices:Exterior — 1 reports
  9. Steering:Electric Power Assist System — 1 reports
  10. Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Motor — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 · 1996 (1) · 1997 · 1998 (1) · 1999 (1) · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 (2) · 2006 (2)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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